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Around the bend in Musandam - Ubar Luxury Travel

Around the bend in Musandam

The boat guide told us that the expression round the bends was coined on Telegraph Island (so named because it used to house a British telegraph station) off the coast of Musandam. The story goes that the telegraphers based there became so bored that they could be seen ceaselessly walking around and around the small hut that was their home. Whether it has any grounding in the truth is dubious but it is certainly a nice story. Relaxed? Yes. But bored? Judging by my last trip to Musandam, certainly not.

If you look at a map of the United Arab Emirates, you might be forgiven for thinking that the outline of the country resembles that of an Oryx head: facing east and with the Omani exclave of Madha representing the Oryx’s eye. The horn of the Oryx is represented by the stretch of land that tapers as you head north, away from Dubai, along the Persian Gulf. Before you hit Iran 55km north across the sea, however, you will come across hairpin bends over steep mountains down to dramatic fjords that seem to be cut into the rock. It is like a tropical Norway. You have reached Musandam; part of Oman but split for 70km from the rest of Oman by the UAE and, together with Iran to the north, forming the Straits of Hormuz which separate the Persian Gulf from the Indian Ocean.

You would have thought, given history and the current animosity between Iran and big western countries, that the Straits of Hormuz would be a hive of activity. It is indeed one of the most important gateways for the Gulf’s oil, estimated to allow passage to a fifth of global sea faring oil and a tenth of total global oil. The reality in Musandam however is somewhat different.



Getting to Musandam might be one of the reasons that it is not quite as active as you might have expected. Despite being part of Oman, the easiest way to get to (most of) Musandam is from the UAE. Once inside, the roads are windy and rarely horizontal. It is quite a popular weekend spot for UAE residents (both locals and expatriates) as it is close by and is full of stunning vistas. That aside, its remoteness makes it much less travelled than the rest of Oman.

The main industry is fishing which is immediately apparent as most settlements are on the coast and, regardless of the time of day, you will always be able to spy a fishing boat somewhere on the horizon and maybe the odd flock of Socotra Cormorants following close behind.

There is also a sideline in smuggling. Lounging by the pool of the Golden Tulip Hotel in Khasab, the district capital, you may see a boat piled 10 feet high and covered with a plastic tarpaulin with two surprisingly large outboard engines. You may well have just seen a smuggler’s boat in broad daylight taking electronics equipment and cigarettes swiftly over to Iran in exchange for sheep and goats.

Musandam is a stunning place but one that has thankfully not been entirely exploited in the name of progress through tourism. Most people who visit Musandam do not want to stay by the pool of their hotel but would rather get out and explore the countryside. The steep mountains allow you to peer down at small specks of boats at the base of winding roads, surrounded by the most tranquil of seas. There are also archaeological and geological sites lying unprotected at the tops of unlikely passes but the greatest draw for me was the sea. Nowhere else in Oman do you feel so engulfed by the mountains whilst also being so close to dolphins.

Probably the most relaxed place in Musandam is the Six Senses resort in Zighy Bay. Located in the south of the peninsula, near the UAE border, it shares a bay with a small fishing village. If you have the stomach for it, you can paraglide from the surrounding mountain down into the resort. I was a little dubious about the idea but it is an absolutely fantastic way of seeing the bay, the village, the mountains, the sea and the resort. You even have time to have a friendly chat with the eastern European instructor who is paragliding in tandem with you while you enjoy the views.

There are boat trips on traditional Omani dhows that miss the point and race up and down the bays chasing dolphins in an absurd and destructive game. I implore you not to partake but to relaxed on a sunset trip that allows you to absorb the silence and, if you are lucky, the dolphins will come and find you.

Up the coast rather than round the bend Musandam is a bit of a secret place; get there before it’s too late.

Ubar Luxury Travel

Eric is based in Oman and runs luxury travel business Ubar Luxury Travel

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